March 17, 2008

Pro Bono Institute Introduces Three-Year Initiative

The Pro Bono Institute has launched a new three-year initiative that will provide nearly $500,000 in funding to organizations that engage retired and about-to-retire lawyers in pro bono projects.

The Institute plans to disburse $160,000 annually over the next three years. The money will go toward legal aid groups that develop pro bono plans that address the legal needs of low-income communities and utilize the services of retired lawyers. In addition to funding, the institute will provide technical assistance to these organizations in order to help advance the ideas.

The initiative is the latest venture of the institute’s Second Acts Project, which aims to engage seasoned attorneys in pursuing a second, volunteer career as a public interest lawyer. The project’s goal is to connect with baby boomers that are inching toward retirement.

The project found the number of attorneys aged 50 and older is expected to triple over the next two decades. It estimates that if 5 percent of these lawyers made the transition to the public interest practice, the number of lawyers serving the low-income community will double.